


Rhinestone

by DittyWrites



Series: Riddles of the Sphinx [9]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Cute, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Self-Reflection, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 05:03:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16078997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DittyWrites/pseuds/DittyWrites
Summary: Edward Nygma and Selina Kyle reflect on the relationship they share and what they truly mean to each other.





	Rhinestone

As the actress on the screen continued to stumble throughout her scene, Selina found her attention drifting to other ventures as her gaze settled on her partner, his expression passive and his feet propped on their wooden coffee table as he lay by her side.

“She's quite pretty,” Selina broke the companionable silence, “isn't she?”

Attention not leaving the mediocre plot, Edward shrugged his disinterest. “I've never been favourable to blondes.” He admitted.

“But you can see her appeal?”

“I suppose she is attractive enough,” pausing, he briefly send a questionable glance her way, “but I see no appeal in appraising a rhinestone when I already own diamond.”

Absolutely disgusted by the warmth which such a simple statement caused within her, Selina pressed the matter. “So you don't ever look at other women? Ever? C'mon, Eddie?”

Edward made a small show of sighing and pausing the television so he could provide her with the attention she was obviously demanding.

“You are saying that I should be staring at other women?” He clasped his hands within his lap.

“I look at other men,” Selina goaded, having more fun with this small conversation than she had in the last hour, “and, you never know, one of these days I might finally give in to the temptation.” She teased, eyes glittering with her wicked intent.

“Nice try.” A smile broke Edwards' expression as he brushed the crook of his finger against her jaw. “But I'd kill you first, Lina.”

Hooking her small pinky within his finger, she pulled his hand away from her face until he retracted it.

“No, you wouldn't.”

Selina was confident in her assessment. Edward couldn't kill her, he did not have it in him and they both knew it.

“Besides, it's not like you could ever land a hit on me if you tried. Your hand-to-hand combat skills are terrible, Ed.”

“I thought you liked my hand-to-hand capabilities?” Edward protested, his own eyes now twinkling. “And I certainty don't hear any complaints about my various 'hand-to-hand skills' when I do that wonderfully sinful thing with my index and thu-”

“Eddie.” Selina interrupted him, sensing the deflection of the topic.

Sighing, Edward folded his hands in his lap again as he gazed at her with a thoughtful expression.

“It's never wise to test the stability of an often-temperamental genius such as myself.” He concluded after a few seconds of thought. “As a rational man I do not like to think that I could ever hurt you but I suppose the potential is there if the betrayal is great enough.” He stopped for a moment. “But it will never come to that.”

It was Selinas' turn for a cocked brow.

“How can you possibly know that?”

“Because you're better than that.” He answered as though it were obvious, flashing her a demure smile.

Knocked into silence by the sincerity of his tone, Selina took a moment to reflect.

What he claimed was true because she would never betray him in such a way. Their relationship may be patchy at times, and her history of being a notorious flirt would follow her to a very loose grave, but infidelity? No. Not with any partner and particularly not with Edward after all the trust he had placed within her.

Never had he asked her to change herself to suit their relationship.

He had never asked her to change her risque costume to protect his ego or masculinity.

He had never demanded she reign in her seductive behaviour while at work.

He had never even expected it of her in the way a lessor man would.

_Because you're better than that._

Such a simple statement but the intimacy of it, the implication of knowing her at her very core, could not be ignored and the truth of it prickled at her skin like a thousand tiny needles.

The truth was that Edward did not, had not, and would never, ask her to change. He encouraged her, provided an extra strength to her inner voice in a way she doubted he was even aware of.

And she loved him for it.

x-x-x-x-x

When Selina was deep in thought her small pink, tongue had a tendency to creep out from between her teeth and the sight of it caused another smile to tug at Edwards' lips as he watched her.

“I might not kill you,” he offered, momentarily mourning the loss of her expression as he broke her concentration, “but I would kill for you.”

Selina made a noise low in her throat.

“Oh really?” She purred. “Then prove it. Kill someone for me.”

Edward slipped his hand within hers and brought her knuckles to his lips for a quick kiss.

“You just say the name, kitten.” His eyes sparkled with humour. “Might I suggest Tetch or Sionis if you are struggling for a hit-list. We can both benefit from that. Maybe Elliott?”

Pretending to contemplate her options, Selina was quiet for a moment before answering with a smile. “What about Nina and Deirdre?”

If anything, Edward felt the smile on his lips widen.

“And here I thought you were not the jealous type?”

“Not jealous. Curious.” Selina corrected him, enjoying the warmth of their linked hands as she continued. “If it came down to it and you had to choose between your 'kitten' or your 'girls'-”

“In my infinite wisdom, I would devise a brilliant method of avoiding the problem.” Edward cut in quickly to prevent her from finishing. “All three of my ladies can live in happy co-existence.”

“You love them, don't you.” It was not a question.

Edward took on a fond look. “My girls mean a lot to me.” He confessed. “As do you. I would never choose between you.”

He stopped to allow his gaze to fall on her again.

Here, on their shared couch, he could swear that she had never looked more beautiful with her disturbed shock of hair and comfortable silk slip which she preferred to wear while lounging or in bed.

So lost in his assessment, he almost missed her next comment.

“I would never ask you to choose.”

Now, it was Edwards' turn to be silent as he considered her response.

Selina would never ask him to choose. Despite the fragility of her friendship with his ex-henchwomen, she would not demand he cut contact with them or ceased their working relationship because that is a demand which would hurt him.

And Selina was one of few who he could claim had never set out to do such a thing.

They had fought and they had betrayed each other in the past; his ego, arrogance and the little regard he held for others making him a difficult man to deal with. However, Selina had always shown a patience for him. An understanding which they never discussed but which allowed him to work with her in a way which he could not with others.

She knew he was brilliant but she would not tolerate his bullshit and deep within himself, despite his occasional irritation, he knew she was perfect.

As intelligent as she was beautiful.

Truly perfect.

He had always known, but being young and foolish he had ignored the truth and it had taken years of mixed success and failure in their working relationship for what they have now to develop.

The truth was that Selina had caused him to change, to discover an inner calm which he doubted himself capable of, into the man he was today. She quietened that voice within which sought to ruin him, the voice which compelled him to destroy himself.

And he loved her for it.

 


End file.
